DURBAN, March 17: Herschelle Gibbs hit 104 to guide South Africa to within 71 runs of a face-saving victory on the third day of the third Test against Australia Sunday.

South Africa, who need 335 to win, were 264 for four in their second innings at stumps. Jacques Kallis was 35 not out with Ashwell Prince on eight.

Gibbs’s 104 was his fourth century of the season. The opener was at the crease for close on five hours, faced 198 balls and hit 15 fours.

Australia, seemingly in control after the first innings, resumed on 159 for eight in their second and were soon all out for 186 as paceman Makhaya Ntini removed Steve Waugh and Glenn McGrath in the seventh over of the day.

Jacques Kallis dived to his right at second slip to take a brilliant slip catch and dismiss Waugh for the innings’ top score of 42.

Unlike most of his team mates, the Australian captain showed discipline in his two and a half hours at the crease in which he faced 86 balls and hit four fours.

Ntini pitched his next delivery on middle stump, and it seamed away sharply to clip the top of McGrath’s off stump.

Ntini finished with three for 65, while Kallis took three for 29.

The South African victory bid received the perfect launch when Gibbs and Gary Kirsten shared a 142-run opening stand.

It was the first South African century partnership in six Tests against Australia this summer, but eventually some indecision between the pair saw them both stranded out of their ground and Kirsten run out for 64.

Gibbs and Graeme Smith then added 74 for the second wicket, a stand ended when Smith skied a delivery from part time off spinner Mark Waugh and was caught by wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist for 42.

Waugh struck again in his next over when Gibbs heaved a delivery to deep midwicket and Neil McKenzie completed a slide of three wickets for 16 runs when he was caught by Matthew Hayden at midwicket off leg spinner Shane Warne for four.

Waugh ended the day with figures of two for 26 from eight overs, but with Kallis still unbeaten South Africa may after all avoid an embarrassing 3-0 series whitewash and a sixth consecutive loss this season against the Australians.